Bug: Claude Code fails to start — invalid hooks schema in .claude/settings.json

[pavitra93]

Affects: code-review-graph install --platform claude-code on Claude Code v1.x+

Description
After running code-review-graph install --platform claude-code, the generated .claude/settings.json uses an outdated hook schema that is incompatible with the current Claude Code hooks format. As a result, Claude Code throws a Settings Error on startup and skips the entire settings file.

Steps to reproduce

1. brew install pipx
2. pipx install code-review-graph
3. code-review-graph install --platform claude-code
4. code-review-graph build
5. Run claude in any project terminal
   Error
   Settings Error — /path/to/project/.claude/settings.json
   └ hooks
   ├ PostToolUse › 0 › hooks: Expected array, but received undefined
   ├ PreCommit: Invalid key in record
   └ SessionStart › 0 › hooks: Expected array, but received undefined

[unix4lyf]

Getting the same issue

[Legys]

Yeah the same

[Razbotics]

I asked claude to fix it and it modified it to this

  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Edit|Write|Bash",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "flock -n /tmp/code-review-graph.lock code-review-graph update --skip-flows",
            "timeout": 5000
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "code-review-graph status",
            "timeout": 3000
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "Stop": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "code-review-graph detect-changes --brief",
            "timeout": 10000
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

[pavitra93]

Yeah, that can be solved but this should be fixed from code itself.

[tirth8205]

This is still a valid open bug. The current code in skills.py:generate_hooks_config() still generates the old invalid schema:

{
  "PostToolUse": [{"matcher": "Edit|Write|Bash", "command": "...", "timeout": 5000}],
  "PreCommit": [{...}],
  "SessionStart": [{...}]
}

The correct Claude Code schema requires a nested hooks array:

{
  "PostToolUse": [{
    "matcher": "Edit|Write",
    "hooks": [{"type": "command", "command": "code-review-graph update --skip-flows", "timeout": 5000}]
  }]
}

Additionally, PreCommit and SessionStart are not valid hook event types in current Claude Code.

PR #203 by @lngyeen provided a complete fix for this along with merge-based hook installation and backup creation, but was closed without being merged. That PR should be revived.

Workaround until fixed: Manually edit .claude/settings.json to use the correct format as shown above.